


Warmth at Night

by Kairyn



Series: Hair Like Fire [6]
Category: The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien, The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: F/M, Pining, Unresolved Romantic Tension, mentions of trauma
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-26
Updated: 2017-12-26
Packaged: 2019-02-22 03:39:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,064
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13158486
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kairyn/pseuds/Kairyn
Summary: Celebrimbor spends a night trying to rest with Narvi beside him.





	Warmth at Night

**Author's Note:**

> As an apology for taking so long with the next Distant Embers... have a little something something from Celebrimbor's point of view for once. He's really such a sweetheart, I swear.

Celebrimbor had his eyes closed as he just enjoyed the feeling of a strong arm wrapped around his waist. There was so much heat coming from the body pressed up to his back he could have almost sworn there was a furnace burning just beside the bed. Narvi's warmth and solid build was a comfort that helped anchor him to the present. Being held by her was as entirely different from the void as he could ever get. He ran his fingers over her thicker ones. The familiar feel of calloused skin in all the spots that a hammer would put them. All the places that he used to have them.

He really should be resting. Tomorrow was going to be a trying day, he knew. And yet, Celebrimbor didn't think he would manage drifting off when he was so content in the present.

Very slowly, he shifted in her arms. He had found that if he moved only slightly over a long period she wouldn't wake up. He managed to roll all the way over to face her as she slept. Celebrimbor smiled at how her expression was still vaguely disapproving even as she slept. One of her braids had broken loose from the thick bun of braids she kept them pulled into most of the time. The tightly woven strands of black were hanging in front of her face. Careful to not wake her, Celebrimbor gently moved the braid back so that it was tucked behind her ear. 

He shifted again until his forehead was pressed lightly against hers. Narvi let out a soft breath when he wrapped his arm around her like she was him. Celebrimbor let his eyes close again as he enjoyed being so near her. Narvi may fuss over him more than was truly necessary but Celebrimbor wouldn't know what he'd do if he were trying to pull himself together again on his own. Her strength was as impossible to break down as the mountains that she once called home and he was glad that he could lean on her.

Celebrimbor'd had a long tiresome life on Arda Marred that had worn on him but Narvi had been such a bright spot that he'd truly forgotten that for the short time they'd been together. Everything about her had drawn him in since before they'd even met. He had fallen in love with her work first and after meeting her had only fallen more into adoration with her. Celebrimbor had thought about her much at the end of his life and swore he'd even heard her at the very last. Probably it had been a delusion of his broken mind but it'd brought him comfort in a place and time where there was only torment.

The first days back from the void Celebrimbor had been sure his mind had finally shattered entirely and he was in a fantasy of his own making. As time continued on without his paradise changing or breaking, Celebrimbor had slowly accepted that it was real. The realization had brought new problems with it and Celebrimbor was still trying to figure out how to deal with them, but he had Narvi beside him and that brought him more feelings of comfort and strength than anything else ever could. For her he would get better. Even if he had to claw each shred of himself back from the void. Celebrimbor didn't know how long it would take but he would do it. He would become worthy of her regard once again. He did not hold out hope for anything beyond friendship with her since he was still so broken but even that made him deliriously happy. 

Celebrimbor tucked his head into her shoulder and sighed in contentment. His favorite time of day or night was whenever he could lay there in Narvi's arms where he again felt safe, warm, and cared for. Narvi murmured something that wasn't even real words and Celebrimbor smiled into her shoulder. Narvi would never believe him if he told her that she sometimes murmured in her sleep but he found it incredibly adorable. Every so often she would actually say a real word but usually it was just jumbled noises that sounded vaguely like they had been words at some point. 

"A good dream, _meleth_?" he asked softly. Narvi grumbled something else indistinct and Celebrimbor's smile widened. "I am glad... you deserve good dreams."

Narvi didn't mutter anything else but that was no more than Celebrimbor expected. He would often speak to her while she slept and rarely he got any sort of response. Celebrimbor snuggled closer to her to leech more warmth from her body. He'd found that the fact Narvi was always so warm quite amazing and she never seemed to mind when he stole some of her heat for himself. The cold didn't used to bother him but it did now and Narvi was quite simply the best way to warm himself.

Celebrimbor decided that he should at least attempt to have some Reverie that night and reluctantly searched through his mind for a memory that would hopefully not trigger worse ones. Searching for an appropriate memory took Celebrimbor some time but, as he usually did, he settled for one that heavily involved the craftswoman in his arms.

_Celebrimbor was glad Narvi couldn't see his face because he didn't think she'd enjoy the smile on his face. "I cannot believe you talked me into this," she grumbled for perhaps the nine hundredth time._

_"I will not let you fall, Narvi," Celebrimbor replied, again for the nine hundredth time._

_"Dwarves don't ride horses."_

_Celebrimbor sighed and leaned forward to better look at her. "This is so much faster than walking," he pointed out. "And the sooner we get to my city the sooner you and I can get to the forge. You said you wanted to."_

_Narvi turned to glare at him. "Are there any Dwarves you do not bribe, my Lord Elf?" she asked. This was essentially the same as how he gifted all the Dwarflings until they shrieked with joy at seeing him coming towards her workshop._

_"Oh, do not be so sour, **mellon** ," he said cheerfully. "I know you do not mind as much as you claim."_

_Narvi scoffed but didn't argue. Instead she reached up and pushed his hair, which had fallen in front of his shoulder, back behind his ear. Celebrimbor was surprised at the motion and moved back to sit up straight so that she wouldn't see the color that flooded his cheeks. Though she was always scolding him for his casual attitude towards his hair she rarely before had touched it. Celebrimbor wasn't as naive as she seemed to think he was and knew perfectly well the implications of her feeling comfortable enough to touch his hair like that._

_His arm wrapped around her tightened slightly as he directed Ilith along the road. Celebrimbor wasn't sure if Narvi was treating him differently because she was truly that comfortable around him or if she was acting how she assumed an Elf would expect her to. He didn't like the idea of the second. Celebrimbor wanted her to be comfortable around him. He found her an absolute delight to be around, even when she was in less than charitable mood like she was currently. "Is a horse really so bad, Narvi?" he asked. Celebrimbor was glad that his voice didn't betray how she had thrown him by putting his hair back._

_Narvi grunted. "It moves all wrong."_

_"How exactly is that?" he asked curiously. Horses didn't move all that differently from ponies or goats, which he knew for a fact that she had ridden before._

_"It..." she seemed to search for the best word for a moment, "Rocks. If it would only move smoothly it wouldn't be as bad."_

_"Her gait is not so different from other animals you have ridden," Celebrimbor pointed out._

_Narvi snorted. "You're under the mistaken impression I enjoy riding any beasts. I don't."_

_"Ah, well, Ilith would be glad to know that it's nothing personal," he said with a smile. He reached forward to pat his loyal mare on the side of her thick neck and told her how lovely a creature she was. She whickered in response and tossed her mane._

_Narvi pulled back to avoid the horse's mane from hitting her across the nose. "Keep that up, horse, and it might become personal," she grumbled even as she relaxed into Celebrimbor's chest. Celebrimbor couldn't stop himself from shifting to better allow her weight against him._

_"She is only teasing you, **mellon** ," Celebrimbor assured her with a smile._

_Narvi grumbled some more less than complementary words against Ilith but Celebrimbor didn't take her very seriously. She seemed to find some sort of enjoyment from complaining. "You may dislike riding but surely you can find some benefit to it. We can enjoy the scenery this way."_

_"You can enjoy it more walking," she pointed out. "Don't you try and look at the bright side with me, Khel. I'm immune."_

_Celebrimbor threw his head back and laughed. "I do not think I believe you," he said with a grin. "You enjoy fixing problems too much."_

_"What does that have to do with anything?" she demanded._

_"In order to fix problems you must look on the bright side, mustn't we?" he asked, leaning forward to look at her directly again. "You just put up a grim exterior so that people don't realize what an optimist you truly are."_

_"Lies," she said instantly._

_"Truth," he shot back with his grin still firmly in place. "You are a horrible horrible optimist, just like me."_

_Narvi snorted at the accusation. "Just because I fix and craft things doesn't mean I'm an optimist. There are things that can't be fixed."_

_"Not in your hands," Celebrimbor murmured sincerely. He couldn't think of anything that her ingenious couldn't find a fix for. The two of them fell into silence after that and Celebrimbor thought that perhaps he shouldn't have said what he had. Narvi didn't seem uncomfortable but he couldn't be a hundred percent certain either._

_They travelled almost a mile before Narvi finally glanced over his shoulder at Celebrimbor. "I guess the scenery is nice enough," she admitted. "I take it you're humming a song about birds or clouds or something?"_

_Celebrimbor straightened. "I wasn't humming," he denied._

_"You were. Like you always are."_

_"I didn't realize," he said honestly. "Does it bother you?"_

_Narvi grunted. "Even if it did, I wouldn't manage to keep you quiet," she pointed out. "So don't bother trying to stifle it. Besides, fits more out here than it does in my forge."_

_"Shall I sing a song you know then?" he asked curiously._

_Narvi considered that for a moment before shrugging. "If you like."_

_"I will even sing it in Westron if it pleases you," Celebrimbor added._

_"Oh, just sing already," she said with a deliberately put upon sigh. Celebrimbor smiled at that before launching into a song that he knew the Dwarves were familiar with. The sun shone brightly across them and birds sang along with him as they rode past. There wasn't a cloud in the sky and a slight breeze occasionally brushed past them from the West. Celebrimbor considered the day to be absolutely perfect._

Celebrimbor found himself being pulled out of Reverie before he really wanted to be. The memory was one of his favorites and he'd have happily lived within it for the rest of his life. But Narvi was pulling away from him and the loss of warmth and comfort instantly brought him back to the present. Celebrimbor tightened his hold of her for a fraction of a moment but then forced himself to loosen. With a sigh, he realized he would most likely not be getting anymore rest that night despite wanting to do so. He wanted to do what Narvi asked of him, he truly did, but his mind had trouble finding peace twice in one night.

Narvi returned to bed after a few minutes and Celebrimbor curled up against her warmth yet again. She murmured a sleepy 'good night' and wrapped her arms around his waist again. He didn't doubt she went right to sleep in a way he couldn't help but envy. "Sweet dreams, _meleth_ ," Celebrimbor murmured against her temple.


End file.
